Climate change is impacting many animals, and for some the impact may be devastating. Two-thirds of North American birds are vulnerable to extinction due to climate change. Audubon members and others asked how they could help protect birds from the impact of a warming planet, and in 2016 Audubon responded by launching the innovative community-science program, Climate Watch.
Each year Climate Watch volunteers during both the winter (January 15 to February 15) and the summer (May 15 to June 15) conduct a series of five-minute counts in designated areas to document the presence or absence of target species, like nuthatches and towhees. Their data helps Audubon scientists better understand how bird ranges are shifting as an adaptation to climate change, and which species are most in danger from a warming world.
For more information on the Climate Watch program, check out Audubon’s Climate Watch website: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/climate-watch
If you are interested in participating in the next Climate Watch survey beginning on January 15, 2025, contact the Climate Watch coordinator for Black Hills Audubon, Austin Gray, at austinirisgray1897@nullgmail.com
Tom Reynolds
